


determined warrior

by orro



Category: Claymore
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-18
Updated: 2015-12-18
Packaged: 2018-05-07 08:59:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5450951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orro/pseuds/orro
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Miria was trying to find evidence against the Organization but a mountain of yoma corpses was enough to encourage a detour.</p>
            </blockquote>





	determined warrior

Peaceful was the word for this part of Lautrec. Miria almost smiled to herself; the people here were lucky to live in such a wonderful place. There were almost no yoma attacks here, to the point where most people didn’t recognize what she was. That too, was a pleasant surprise, though she still garnered looks for her armor and hair.

She stopped, ignoring the stares she got in the town, and changed her direction. For a moment she had thought she felt the yoki of a yoma. It was foul in such an otherwise idyllic place and it was a simple matter to follow after it. It stank, and that made is easier to follow even when it had abruptly vanished. 

Miria eyed the townspeople around her again. Maybe this place wasn’t so peaceful; she’d been to other towns that had seemed peaceful only to find them full of yoma, or worse, humans aware but feeding the monsters. The more Miria learned the more inclined she was to view everyone with suspicion. 

Miria turned her back on the village and headed into the dense woods. The hike was no issue for her but she kept an ear out. It wouldn’t do to get cornered or attacked this far out, especially when she still had so much left to do. 

Miria looked around, frowning a little. She’d been climbing upwards but she’d come to a cliff. She looked down, expecting an empty gorge or a river below her. Instead when she looked down from the cliff she could see a mountain of yoma corpses. 

“What…” Miria trailed off as she stopped trying to count the bodies. There were too many. One must have just been killed and discarded here, but there were hundreds in various states of decay. This wasn’t a recent phenomenon. 

Miria looked around again, a shiver threatening to come over her. Then it wasn’t by chance that there were few yoma attacks out here. Someone was killing them. And while a human could kill a youma if they were strong enough, it couldn't have been a human that killed so many. No, someone would have needed to been able to identify them. 

This was the work of a warrior. But as far as Miria knew there were no other warriors out this far from the island inland. She bit her lip as she thought, staring at the pile. The one at the top wasn’t anywhere near the freshest. It was a middle one that must have rolled from the top. Then the person who had tossed it had come from the other side. 

Miria took a few steps back then hurtled herself across the ravine. She had a warrior to find, and quickly. If they suspected that another warrior was here, who knows what they would do. They had to have been a runaway from the Organization. but it was rare that warriors could escape; there were warriors specially devoted to hunting down renegades. But if it was someone who could slaughter that many yoma, then perhaps it was possible. 

There was no longer any yoki trail to follow so Miria had to go by intuition alone. Night came and while she didn’t sleep, she did stop to rest and adjust her plans. She was back on the move before sun up. There were still no hints of yoma, though now that she was looking for it she could see their claw marks in some of the trees. 

It wasn’t until midday that she finally found a clearing with a house. Miria figured she was almost to the next town over. The maps around here were sketchy and few agreed with one another.

Miria made to leave the house alone when she stopped. There was something odd about this house. If the woods housed the yoma, which she’d seen before, then why was this house here? And why was it the only one? 

‘You’ve got good instincts, Miria.’

Miria allowed herself a grim smile as she heard the words in Hilda’s voice. She stopped as she saw the door open; a young woman came out and upon seeing Miria, froze. 

“What are you doing here?” The young woman said. She had a hard look to her face but she was human to the core. Miria couldn’t sense any yoki from her.

“I’m looking for someone,” Miria said, eyes darting around, trying to figure out what felt off about this place. She couldn’t sense anything but her intuition was screaming. 

Miria looked at the woman again. This young woman wasn’t afraid of her like most people she came across. But it wasn’t bravado; there was fear there but it was pointed. Maybe she’d had a run in with a previous warrior or had been the survivor of a yoma attack. It was personal. 

“Clare?” A man came around from the back, a child propped on his hips. The child looked like them both and Miria nearly frowned when the child gave no reaction to her. Most children tended to stare or scream. 

“Get inside,” Clare said, and he followed her gaze to Miria. Without hesitating he turned and ran, slamming the door behind him. Miria could see his face at the window. 

“Is that your family?” Miria said as gently as she could. She didn’t want to infer a threat. Of course the young woman, Clare, took it as one. 

“Leave them alone. I’m not going to ask you again; what do you want?” 

“I’m not here to harm anyone. It’s against the Organization’s-” 

Clare began to laugh. 

“That doesn’t mean anything to a determined warrior,” Clare said and the hair on the back of Miria’s neck stood up. Most people called them claymores for their weapons but those who knew them were aware that the half yoma beings called themselves warriors. 

“I’m not here on Organization orders,” Miria said, taking a step back. She wanted to drop her sword, as a show of peace, but she had a feeling if she went for her sword this woman would think her about to kill the whole family.

“There are no yoma here,” Clare said with a strange confidence. “We don’t have a problem. Go to back to Sutafu if you want to deal with yoma.” 

“Okay,” Miria said in a gentle voice. “Can I ask you a question before I go? How do you explain that gorge full of yoma corpses?” 

There was a movement and a sound, a lack of fear in Clare’s eyes, but it was enough that Miria jumped back. There was a gash in the ground where Miria had just been, and Miria looked up, eyes wide to see someone standing with a claymore. 

“Who are you?” Miria demanded as the warrior stepped forward. She tried to look for a symbol but it was hidden under the woman’s otherwise unassuming clothes. The bits of hair that escaped from her shawl were enough to tell the truth though. 

“You’re intruding on my home so you should be introduce yourself first before demanding anything,” the warrior said. She came at Miria again and Miria barely raised her blade in time, staggering at the warrior’s strength. 

“So you’re the one who killed all those yoma,” Miria said, the question answered. She still felt no yoki but there was no denying that this was a warrior. 

“You can’t prove it,” the warrior said with a grin. 

She thrust, passing her sword through a mirage. Miria swore to herself; she’d only just made that one in time. 

“A ghost. But not yet dead. And definitely still solid.” She murmured to herself as she blocked the Miria’s blade with her own. The warrior smiled. “You’re fast.” 

Miria fell back, scowling that her attack had failed. The woman had released no yoki and she was still faster than her, even when using her phantom speed. Miria made to attack again but then the warrior stopped and lowered her sword. 

“You’re not here for us, are you?” 

“No,” Miria said, keeping her sword up. “I don’t come on Organization orders, if that’s what you mean.” 

“Hm,” the warrior said and then she drove her claymore into the ground, resting her arm on it. “What’s your name, Phantom?” 

“Miria,” she said after a moment’s hesitation. 

“Nice to meet you, Miria. I’m Teresa,” she said with an amused look.

“Teresa?” Miria repeated, as she tried to remember the name. It was familiar but she couldn’t place it. 

“Oh I do wonder how the Organization covered me up. Do tell me, Phantom Miria,” Teresa said. “How do they deal with a warrior who eluded their best and ran off to play human?” 

Nothing Teresa said rang a bell so Miria shrugged. Teresa’s amused look vanished and she shrugged. 

“Oh well.” Teresa said. 

“I’m sorry,” Miria said for some reason but Teresa waved her off. 

“It doesn't matter. By the way, this charming young lady is Clare,” Teresa said, introducing the scowling woman. The scowl was clearly covering her fear and concern but Teresa didn’t seem to pay attention. “She’s my daughter.” 

“Teresa,” Clare said, glaring daggers at Miria. 

“Don’t be rude. I don’t think Miria here will be telling the Organization anything about us,” Teresa said, not even looking at Miria to confirm. 

“I won’t but how could you know that?” Miria asked.

“Your yoki is half awakened.” Teresa said, pointing to her. “I’ve never seen that before. I don’t think the Organization would let someone like you just walk around, not when they could be tearing you apart for testing. No, I think you have a hidden agenda. And you’ve come so far away from their headquarters. We came this far to get away from them.” 

“She’s still one of them,” Clare said. 

“Oh fine. Be that way. Come, Warrior Miria, let’s take a walk. Don’t follow me,” Teresa said to Clare and with that she turned on her heel and walked away. Once they were out of normal human distance of hearing, Teresa smiled. “She’s stubborn.” 

“You said she was your daughter,” Miria said. 

“Obviously not biologically,” Teresa said. “I found her and decided to live for her. You know how orphans of yoma attacks are treated.” 

Miria couldn’t help a bitter smile. Teresa caught it but she didn’t say anything. She didn’t need to. 

Miria followed silently after her and once she realized where they were going, she had her answer. They were overlooking the gorge that housed all the yoma corpses. 

“I supposed I should have cleaned up better,” Teresa said with a rueful smile. 

“It reeks,” Miria murmured. 

“I know.” Teresa shrugged. “I got lazy. Can you blame me for wanting to spend time with my family instead of hacking apart yoma corpses? And it’s not like anyone else has stumbled onto it but you.” 

Miria looked at it. It was difficult to believe that no one HAD stumble across it. In the middle of the country something like this would have been noticed straight away. 

“You say they’re your family. But the only family a warrior has is the Organization and her fellow warriors,” Miria says. She knows the first part is a lie; the Organization turned them into monsters and regularly kills them off. But the bond she shares with her fellow warriors is true even if the circumstances have been less than ideal. 

“Clare made me into her family, in my defence,” Teresa said with a grin. “I wanted to do the proper thing and leave her. Like I told you, she’s stubborn.” 

“Is that what you meant before? About why you left?” 

Teresa shrugged and then smiled. “Yeah. I kept trying to leave her in different towns but she’d always run away and find me. I don’t think I wanted to leave her either but I was trying to be noble. One town she was in was attacked by bandits and I ran back to save her. I killed them all.” 

Miria didn’t let her reaction show on her face. Killing a human was a punishment by death. It was the reason people could trust the warriors as much as they could. They at least had that knowledge. 

“Do you think I was stupid?” Teresa asked. 

“Not really,” Miria said. “Though it wasn’t exactly smart.” 

Teresa laughed. “No, I guess not. But enough about me. What brings you so far from the Organization?” 

“I’m trying to learn their secrets,” Miria openly admitted. She should have been more disgusted by a human killer, but Teresa clearly wasn’t like Ophelia who killed them for sport. And Miria should have been more cautious but Teresa didn’t strike her as someone who would turn her in, not while she was also in hiding. 

“Why?” 

“To destroy the Organization.” 

Teresa whistled in admiration. “Now that’s an idea.” She had a thoughtful look on her face. “I wonder now how many people have wanted to do such a thing. I think most people hate it but consider it a necessary evil.” 

“They need to be stopped. They’re monsters,” Miria said. 

“They makes Warriors to fight monsters,” Teresa said, not denying Miria’s words, but reminding Miria of why they were tolerated. 

“It’s not exactly like that,” Miria said. Teresa raised an eyebrow. “I have theories and some proof, but not enough. That’s what I’m doing here. Looking for proof.” 

Teresa made a noise of understanding. “I guess that’s true. You’ll have to have some pretty convincing evidence to change the minds of warriors and humans alike. And some warriors are pretty devoted to the Organization.” 

“I’m aware,” Miria said, not bothering to hide the way her mouth puckered. 

“Have you found anything?” Teresa asked. 

“I don’t want to tell anyone anything until I have proof. And I’d rather not involved anyone who doesn’t want to be involved.” 

“I’m not involved already?” She said as she pointed to her chest. 

“I wasn’t expecting to find you,” Miria said. She looked at Teresa. “But I want you to come with me. You’re strong. I can’t even tell how strong you are, that’s how far it goes.” 

“Maybe those yoma were all just weak,” Teresa said with a smile. 

“You’re kept your yoki suppressed all these years haven’t you? You beat them with sheer strength.” 

Teresa looked back at the small house. 

“I think it’s really honorable what you’re trying to do. But I don’t care. I want to protect Clare. And I’ve been doing that so far.” 

“If I come there’s a chance more people will come too,” Miria warned. 

“You’re the first warrior we’ve met since we left,” Teresa said with a smile. “I think I’ll take those odds.” 

“This isn’t about odds. The Organization will spread. And then-”

“I’ll protect what’s in front of me,” Teresa said. She shook her head. “I understand what you’re trying to say. But you don’t understand me. As long as I’m here, I can protect those in front of me. Let’s say I go with you and we somehow managed to topple the Organization; who will be here when that chaos spreads? Because if you bring them down the world will be chaotic for a while. It always happens when a major power falls. I could save the whole world but it would mean nothing to me if while I was off doing that, Clare is killed by a yoma or bandit.” 

Miria bit her tongue to keep arguing. She could recognize a wall. There was no way she could promise Clare’s safety. 

“I hope you guys remain safe,” Miria said. 

“You probably won’t win but I wish you would,” Teresa said. She stopped herself and shook her head. “No, Clare says I’m too depressing. I have to work on that before the baby starts copying my doom and gloom. I want you to win.” 

Miria nodded and left without a word of goodbye. She had no intention of coming back out this far. 

But she did spare a moment to watch from afar as Teresa returned. Clare ran out and embraced her, no doubt having spun plenty of worries in her absence. Miria didn’t hide a smile when Teresa whacked Clare across the head, kindly. 

Miria quickly ceased to be a watcher. She turned and began walking again. She had an Organization to topple.


End file.
